In this article we look at the birds of prey we regularly see around our cottage on White Lake, but first, we wanted to explain what species are considered birds of prey. In our region we have six families of birds of prey that feed on the meat of vertebrates, including eagles, owls, hawks, falcons, osprey, and vultures. These birds of prey are also referred to as raptors. Other species of birds that hunt and feed on fish and amphibians, such as loons, herons, kingfishers and mergansers, or on insects are not birds of prey.
Characteristically, birds of prey are strong, fast fliers, have keen eyesight for detecting prey from a distance or during flight, have strong feet with sharp talons for grasping prey and have powerful, curved beaks. Most birds of prey feed on live animals but some also scavenge and eat carrion. Most birds of prey are daytime hunters who tear off and swallow pieces of flesh from their prey. Owls are an exception as they are night-hunters and swallow their prey whole.
Our first raptor is the bald eagle which is the largest raptor around our cottage, growing to 71 to 96 centimeters in length with a wing span of up to 200 centimeters. The distinctive white head and tail do not fully develop until birds are five years old. They are opportunistic aerial and perch hunters feeding primarily on fish, both live and dead, during summer which they capture at the water’s surface or steal from other raptors, especially osprey. They scavenge all sizes of animal, especially dead deer, when fish are not available.
The barred owl hunts primarily at night. Nocturnal hunting is facilitated by their large eyes that are capable of seeing prey in very low light and their excellent hearing. They have a very flexible neck allowing them to turn their heads nearly 270 degrees so that their forward-facing eyes, which provide exceptional binocular vision, and ears, can be focused toward the prey they are hunting. Adults grow to 43 to 50 centimeters in length with a wing span of up to 110 centimeters. Barred owls feed on small mammals, birds, amphibians, and insects that are small enough they can be swallowed whole.
The Cooper’s hawk is one of several species of hawk we see regularly around our cottage. Males grow to 36 to 41 centimeters with a wing span of 71 to 76 centimeters and females are larger, growing to 41 to 48 centimeters with a wing span of 79 to 86 centimeters. Cooper’s hawks are aerial and perch hunters that feed on medium-sized birds such as robins and mourning doves, small rodents, and snakes.
The merlin, as with all members of the falcon family, has a notch on the upper part its bill which it uses to break the neck to kill its prey before feeding on the flesh. Adults grow to 23 to 28 centimeters in length with a wing span of 53 to 58 centimeters. They are aerial hunters that feed on small birds and large insects, including dragonflies.
Osprey feed on live fish which they catch while flying near the water surface using their powerful feet, long sharp claws, and sharp spicules (modified, barb-like scales) on their feet which provide extra grip for holding inherently slippery fish. They grow to 51 to 64 centimeters in length with a wing span of 150 to 170 centimeters. Osprey are probably our favourite birds of prey, simply because we see them most often and have learned to identify them from a distance.
Turkey vultures feed on dead animals. Since they do not capture this food, their feet are less powerful and their talons are shorter than other birds of prey. In addition to good eye sight, they also have a keen sense of smell which allows them to locate dead animals while soaring high above. They grow to 61 to 71 centimeters in length with a wing span of 160 to 180 centimeters. We often see groups soaring and gliding on thermals as they hunt. On sunny days we occasionally see groups perching in dead trees with their wings extended sunning themselves.
It is always exciting for us when we see raptors around our cottage and it is even better when we manage to take pictures of them.
Inspiration for this article was our newest field guide Brian K. Wheeler’s Birds of Prey of the East. We also relied on Chris G. Earley’s Hawks & Owls of Eastern North America.
